Best Ice Fishing Lures for Crappie

Best Ice Fishing Lures for Crappie

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Ice fishing for crappie is a ton of fun, but it comes with some challenges.

So what’s the hardest part?

Ice fishing requires skill, knowledge, and luck, but choosing the right Crappie ice fishing lure is essential to getting fish on the ice.

Lucky for you, we’re here to help!

So what are the best ice fishing lures for Crappie?

What to know when ice fishing for crappie

When you’re fishing for Crappie under the ice, it’s important to have a good understanding of the equipment and techniques needed to position you for the best chance of success.

Crappie location

First, how do you find the fish? Locating crappie can be a tricky art form.

Influences such as the expanse of your lake, the time of the season, and the amount of crappie the lake contains all affect where to find your target.

Above all, you have to know where to look!

Are you fishing in a relatively shallow lake with a healthy population of aquatic plants?

If so, recognize that crappy love to spend time near grasses and other vegetation.

Follow their food sources. Find the food, and you will find the fish.

Crappie are usually two or three feet from the bottom of the lake, but the deepness of the water can cause subtle variations.

Crappie travel together

Part of the fun of fishing crappie is their inherent nature to travel in schools.

That means that you can fish from one hole for quite awhile, and you will not have to relocate as much and anglers who focus on larger fish.

If your hole starts to run dry, don’t be afraid to check out a new location, but you can rotate amongst your favorite spots frequently.

Lake conditions determine your ice fishing strategy

Early in the ice fishing season, oxygen levels are still high, so fish can safely spend time near the bottom of the lake in warmer water.

However, as winter progresses, oxygen levels decline, and crappie must move nearer to the surface to survive.

Plants consume some of the oxygen resources, too, and they cannot replenish it until sunlight breaks through the water much later in the year.

During the course of the season, fish gradually rise closer to the surface and high oxygen levels.

Schools increase their mobility as well.

As the fish move, you have to move with them, and it will probably take a few unsuccessful attempts before you find them again!

When do crappie feed?

Crappie are hungry in the early morning hours and towards the end of the evening. Your lures will be even more attractive during these time periods.

Crappie like to feed upward. This gives you a tip on presentation: hold your bait slightly above the level of the fish for optimal effect.

Since crappies’ eyes are situated on top of their head, your lures will be easy to see when they are a few inches above the fish.

Upward feeding also means that you need to pay close attention for a bite. Crappie will push in the opposite direction of a fish pulling on your rod, so this may not be what you are used to feeling. If your rod bends slightly upward, you may have a bite!

Using a sensitive rod is incredibly important.

As mentioned, crappie swim in schools. When one fish starts feeding, the others want to eat too!

Get your lure under the ice as soon as possible after reeling in a catch, and you may bring in a few more fish.

What type of lures do crappie prefer?

Crappie prefer light jigs, which means that a sensitive rod will be much more productive.

Be very selective about your jigs when ice fishing for crappie.

Usually, softer baits that excel in penetration work best.

Jig heads tend to use tungsten or lead components. Most jigs for crappie measure roughly 1/32 to 1/64 ounces.

Tungsten weighs more than lead which allows you to cover more ground with a small lure.

If you want to tip your jig, crappie like small invertebrate creatures.

You can use wax worms, minnows, or the like.

These work well in shallow waters.

Plastic lures are usually excellent choices when ice fishing for crappie.

They allow you to get your line back in the water faster, giving you more opportunities for reeling in catches.

You also have an indefinite amount of color, design, and weight options with this type of lure.

If larger fish are your targets, you can use spoons. Or, perhaps you want to try lipless baits.

Keep in mind that crappie are small fish, so you need to use small lures.

To weed out smaller catches, use slightly larger baits.

What to look for in an ice fishing lure for crappie

Most anglers prefer to fish with jigs over minnows on the ice.

Jigs will attract fish, and you avoid the hassle of removing your gloves, exposing your fingers to the cold, and fighting to put the minnow on your hook.

When you are considering ice fishing lures for crappie, here are some points that you should think about.

What size lure should you use?

Small lures work best. The size of the lure directly relates to the size of the fish that you will catch.

Soft plastic lures are recommended to be no more than a few inches long, erring on the shorter end of 2 inches.

Fish eat less in the winter and tend to eat smaller meals. Therefore, they will prefer smaller lures compared to your summertime go-tos.

And, smaller lures are less likely to spook fish, so you will be able to fish a singular hole for a longer period.

Lure colors

Crappie like a variety of lure colors depending on the situation and water conditions.

However, there are a couple of standards that you will want to store in your tackle box:

Neon lures (multicolored, but definitely include a bright green/yellow option)

Naturally colored jigs

Having these options readily available will allow you to play to crappies’ changing preferences and adapt to water and environmental conditions.

Best ice fishing lure for crappie

There are a number of fishing lure options that can work well when ice fishing for crappie. The following options may prove a good place to start your search.

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